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Slow Cooker Applesauce – Unsweetened: #Recipe

Apple season has been over for a while; luckily apples are still plentiful at my local market. When they’re on sale, I always opt for a large bag when I decide to make a few apple recipes. Finding recipes to use them in is always fun. This slow cooker applesauce recipe is one of many fun recipes I like to make when I come across a great sale on a good tart cooking apple.

Homemade applesauce is one of the easiest things to make. When you add a slow cooker to the mix, it makes it that much easier. I will say that the apple sweetness speaks for themselves in this recipe. Because of that, no sugar is added. I also happen to prefer my applesauce a bit tart.

So here we go.

Slow Cooker Applesauce -Unsweetened

Wash the apples to remove any residue and wax. Peel, core and slice them into quarters. Place the sliced apples, water, salt, and lemon juice in your slow cooker; toss to coat and cover and set on low for 4 hours, until the apples are very soft.

Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the apples until you’ve reached the desired texture, chunky or smooth. I like mine a bit chunky. Take care when mashing the softened cooked apples; the mixture is pretty hot.

Using a canning funnel, pour the applesauce into 6 half pint or 3 1-pint sterilized jars, leaving ¼ -inch headspace from the rim of the jar. Wipe rims of each jar; seal and let cool for an hour or so. You can go the extra step and can the jars of applesauce for a longer shelf life. Otherwise, the applesauce will last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the applesauce in freezer containers for up to a year or so. Variations: There are many variations; below are just a few. In some cases, you will need to test for sweetness and add a bit of sugar.

Cinnamon Applesauce: Add 1 to two teaspoons of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to taste.

Notes: Some like their applesauce with a bit of sugar. If that would be you, add a bit of sugar at the end when the mixture is mashed and still hot. Be careful to add a little at a time, stirring in the sugar until it’s dissolved. Taste as you go and stop adding sugar when you’ve reached the desired sweetness. A combination of apples is also a fun way to go. You can leave the skins on the apples if you prefer. If you do, you’ll need to cut the apples into a medium dice and vigorously mash them when they’ve softened to break down the skins. The skins do add a bit of color, flavor, and texture to your sauce; either way, it all tastes divine.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, have no fear; you can easily make this on the stovetop. The difference is in the time it takes to cook the apples to the softened stage – about 20 to 30 minutes. It’s actually much faster than the slow cooker. I just like the “set it and forget it” method. It’s up to you which method you prefer. As I said before, this homemade slow cooker applesauce can easily be canned to allow for a very long shelf life. I do this quite often when I have a lot of apples on hand.

Ok, isn’t that easy? Why not give this homemade slow cooker applesauce a try. Regardless of whether you use a slow cooker or the stovetop, you will love the end results. In fact, I would venture to say you might never want to buy applesauce at your local market ever again. Enjoy.